Exploring Facebook and Whatsapp As Supporting Social Network Applications For English Learning In Higher Education
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Exploring Facebook and Whatsapp As Supporting Social Network
Applications For English Learning In Higher Education
Adhi Susilo
Abstract
Facebook (FB) and Whatsapp (WA) have become the “communication portal” for social networking, which has
rapidly transformed the way people communicate. It attempts to shed light on an information-sharing activity
conducted via online discussion using FB and WA groups. This study investigated students’ participation in the
online discussion and their feedback on the use of FB’sand WA’s groups as the platform for the activity.It
explores ten domestic workers’ use of FB and WA as students in their English course at the Open University of
Indonesia (UT). Drawing on virtual ethnography this article relies on qualitative data that shows there are
potential positive benefits to using FB and WA for teaching and learning, particularly for the development of
educational portable-communities. It is concluded that a FB’sand WA’s group has the potential to be used as
online tutorial complements. They have pedagogical, social and technological affordances, which allow putting
up announcements, sharing ideas and resources, and implementing online discussions. Using a FB’sand WA’s
group as an online tutorial complement, however, has certain constraints. Participation of tutors and the role of
admin of FB’s and WA’s group are crucial to realize its potential.
Keywords: Facebook, Whatsapp, domestic workers’ student, social networking site
Introduction
Mobile phones have become a crucial part of our daily life nowadays. Everyone has a personal cell
phone of their own. Mobile phones have been developing very fast since 1995 (Chowdhury, 2012).
They are used not only for making calls and messaging, but also forplay a music, watch a movie;
access internet and a varietyof applications. To give more functionalities in mobilephones, many
operating systems are developed such as Windows Mobile, IOS, Symbian and Android.Android is
grabbing more and more user attention and thousands of Android applications are currently being
developed. The applications are WhatsApp (WA), Skype and GO SMS Pro, which are also,the most
popular messenger applications among the college students(Jadhav, Bhutkar, & Mehta, 2013).
According toLudlow and Duff (2009), the Internet has had a moredramatic influence on education
than any previous technological innovation because it has allowed individuals of all ages to access
education and training programs. However, the most dramatic changes have come most recently with
the introduction of Web2.0. Web 2.0 is a set of web-based applications that are fluid in nature
(Lorenzetti, 2009). Its basic elements are communication and collaborative technologies that involve
voice, video, social networking, and content sharing; the direction and content of these applications
are established by their users. Web 2.0 technologies add a new dimension to online teaching and
learning and provide opportunities for instructor-to-student as well as student-to-student real-time and
time-delayed collaboration. These technologies have shifted the role of instructors from deliverers of
instruction to that of facilitators of learning and have made learners the center of attention (Askov &
Bixler, 1998;Beldarrain, 2006; Gunga &Ricketts, 2008).Falvo and Johnson (2007) notethat Web 2.0
technologies are viewed as tools that will elevate teaching and learning from the structured and linear
learning management system (LMS) environment to a dynamic,multi-dimensional environment.
Social networking sites (SNSs) have become increasingly popular with the rise of Web 2.0, providing
increased collaboration and sharing among users through applications like wikis, blogs, podcasts, and
RSS feeds. SNSs such as MySpace, Friendster and, most recently, Facebook (FB), are used by a great
variety of people, both for social and professional purposes; youth, in particular, use these new
technologies to communicate and stay connected (Castells, 2007). This popularity should help SNSs
act as natural supports for educational activities if they are used effectively.
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Challenges for Lecturers and Teachers
The study focused on use of the FB as a social networking site and Whatsapp for distance education at
an Indonesian distance university, the Open University of Indonesia (Universitas Terbuka or UT). It
investigated students’ participation in online discussions and their feedback on the use of FBand
Whatsapp groups as the platform for the activity. Its subjects were Indonesian domestic workers living
and working overseas, individuals that can benefit significantly from education but are challenging to
engage and sustain in their learning efforts. The overall purpose of the study was to add to our
understanding of the potential and challenges of educational applications that involve FB and
Whatsapp-supported information sharing.
Background
Distance Education at Universitas Terbuka
UTis astate university for Indonesia dedicated to open and distance learning. UT provides online
tutorials as an alternative to face-to-face tutorials, particularly for students who have access to the
Internet; the tutorials motivate students to be self-directed and independent learners. Online tutorials
facilitate two-way asynchronous communication and offer interactive human contact to distance
learners (Suparman, 2007). Online tutorials at UT are mandatory for graduate students but voluntary
for undergraduate students.
UT’s online tutorials are delivered through a learning management system (LMS), which is a software
application used to plan, implement, and assess a specific learning process (Techtarget, 2005). An
LMS consists of a wide range of Internet-based pedagogical and course administration
toolsintegratedwithin a single platform. WebCT, Blackboard, Desire to Learn, E-College, Moodle,
and Sakai are some of the more popular LMS platforms. Typically, an LMS provides a tutor with a
way to create and deliver content, monitor student participation, and assess student performance
(Techtarget, 2005).
UT currently uses Moodle as its LMS. Although Moodle has the capacity for synchronous and
asynchronous online discussions in chat rooms and discussion boards, students seldom use these
features because of a lack of tutor presence and because of inconvenient aspects of the Moodle
platform. The more that students access the platform, the slower the system becomes, which can be
troublesome for students trying to take quizzes, submit assignments, or just simply access the course
content. The website can also shut down on occasion, blocking students from accessing course
materials. As an alternative, UT students sometimes choose to use FB as a communication channel to
support learning in online tutorials.
UT is a distance educationalservice providerwithinthe Indonesian distance education system and relies
heavily ona solidsynergywith various parties, includingthecountry’s Foreign Ministry. This
cooperationhasan important strategic rolein providingaccess tohigher educationfor allIndonesian
citizens, includingthose who liveabroad.OnFebruary 7, 2012, UT signeda Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with theMinistry of ForeignAffairsto provide education for Indonesian
domestic workers who work overseas. This effort is also intended to empowerIndonesian
citizensabroad,especiallyIndonesian workers. As a result of this MOU, UT is developing mechanisms
including online tutorials to help overseas Indonesian workers succeed in their studies.
This study focused on the FB social networking site at UT, with particular reference to possible
applications for teaching and learning at a distance for UT students who work as domestic workers in
Hong Kong. The students take bachelor degree in English Translation study program. They need the
degree to upgrade their skill particularly for speaking with their supervisors.
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Challenges for Lecturers and TeachersOnline Tutorials at UT
UT first provided online tutorials in 1999 using an electronic mailing list. By the end of 2002, the
electronic mailing list system was replaced by the more efficient and comprehensive Manhattan
Virtual Classroom (MVC) software. In September 2002, an electronic tutorial system using the MVC
application software was implemented with the new title of “online tutorial." In 2004, this MVC-based
online tutorial system was replaced with an LMSbased on the free open source Moodle software. In
this new online tutorial system, the students can be served individually, and they can also access other
learning services, such as a dry lab, an academic calendar and independent learning materials.Tutors
can ask students to explore and elaborate what they learn by using available online learning resources.
Tutors can give students assignments that require students to retrieve information through the Internet.
Through exploring available learning resources via theInternet, students can achieve meaningful
understanding about new knowledge. In order to make use of available learning materials, students
have to manage their time, effort, and learning strategies. These activities in online tutorials make
students more independent (Luschei, Dimyati, & Padmo, 2008; Noviyanti & Wahyuni, 2007).
UT and other faculty involved in online education are using discussion boards in their online tutorials
to increase active student participation in group-led discussions. These discussions are generally led
by students, and the instructor acts as a facilitator. Moffett, Claxton, Jordan, Mercer, and Reid (2007)
noted that students who are quiet in face-to-face class meetings are most often the most expressive in
online discussions. Such discussions foster a pedagogy in which instructors take a back seat and are
mostly responsible for the dynamics of the discussion; the bulk of content is presented and discussed
by the students. Face-to-face group meetings are being replaced by online discussions that are much
more convenient for students because they eliminate the need for everyone to show up at a certain
location at a specific time (Christopher, Thomas, & Tallent-Runnels, 2004). Students are able to
review and participate in discussion threads at their convenience. LMS and online discussion
applications are also being utilized by administrators and staff personnel in higher education
institutions for communication and collaboration.
UT’s students from urban areas who work overseas as domestic workers, particularly in Hong Kong,
generally have the capability to master technology, since they are part of the “Net Generation.” At UT,
students now rely heavily on SNSs, and the tools provide a platform to connect with other students,
lecturers, and administrators.
While a number of research studies on students’ asynchronous interactions have utilized LMSs(e.g.
Al-Busaidi & Al-Shihi, 2012; Black, Beck, Dawson, Jinks, & DiPietro, 2007; Cavus, 2007; Chang,
2008; Coates, James, & Baldwin, 2005; Georgouli, Skalkidis, & Guerreiro, 2008), this study focuses
on FB as a platform for students’ interaction. In addition, despite a growing number of recent studies
that have been conducted on the educational use of FB(e.g. Bicen & Cavus, 2011; Hew, 2011; Jodi &
Christie, 2011; Mazman & Usluel, 2010; Pempek, Yermolayeva, & Calvert, 2009; Tina, 2010; Wang,
Woo, Quek, Yang, & Liu, 2012), very few, if any, have looked into ESL students’ participation in an
online discussion via FB groups and their perception of the use of FB groups in online tutorial
complementary activities. The findings of this study, therefore, provide insights into students’
participation in and perceptions of theFB group in an information-sharing task, as well their
implications for language teaching and learning.
Indonesian Domestic Workers
Domestic workers are the single largest employment category for women in Asia. According to
Bhojwani (2000, p. 22), a domestic worker can be defined as a person who has entered into a contract
with an employer to perform domestic duties for a specified period of time. The helper has migrated
from her country to reside with the employer and his/her family, doing chores like cooking, cleaning,
washing, ironing, shopping, running errands, driving, childcare, care of the disabled or aged, and pet
care. These workers are largely not unionised, poorly paid, and lack holiday pay, sick leave, days off,
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Challenges for Lecturers and Teachersminimum hours, retirement benefits, occupational health and safety standards. Philippa (2010) reveals
that domestic workers are often subjected to harassment and exploitation. The fact that their work is
isolated and rarely recognised by governments as “work” has made it extremely difficult to organise
domestic workers and collectively defend their labour rights, particularly in the education area. As
new information communication technology (ICT) has become more accessible, organisations and
unions have begun to tap into the potential of these modern forms of communication to mobilise and
educate domestic workers. According to Wardoyo and Mahmud (2013), domestic workers see value
and gain various benefits from using ICTs for their learning process, in their current role as a domestic
worker and professional orientation. However, multiple barriers need to be overcome, including the
negotiation of multiple roles as their family’s breadwinner, domestic worker and student
Usability Evaluation of Messenger Applications for Android Phones
According to (Jadhav et al., 2013), the usability evaluation of messenger applications onAndroid
phones using Cognitive Walkthrough leads to theidentification of several important usability
problems.These problems mainly include lack of provision formultiple smiley selection, no
confirmation message for filetransfer, ineffective „Search‟ functionality and absence oflegends for
sent messages.The messenger applications – WhatsApp, Skype and GOSMS Pro are popular. It is
imperative to continuouslyimprove the usefulness, usability, and user experience ofthese applications.
In future, the awareness about identifiedusability problems should be increased and these
problemsshould be resolved to improve the experience of millions ofmobile users.
Research Questions
This qualitative study explored the use ofFB and WA by Indonesian domestic workers who were also
UT distance education students in an English translation program. In order to investigate possible
FBeducational applications, the study investigated students’ participation in an onlinediscussion and
their feedback on the use of FB groups as the activity platform. The research questions were:
1. How do students use FBand WA to support their online tutorials?
2. How do students’ social networks on FBand WA relate to the educational networks in their
online tutorials?
3. How do students attempt to engage with tutors using FB and WA?
4. What potential does FB and WA hold for building learning communities in distance education?
Recent research on distance education students’ use of online SNSs has been located outside
Indonesia. Few studies have been conducted on the use of online SNSs in South Asia, and none in
Indonesia. This study attempts to provide an exploratory account of FBand WA usage in UT but does
not attempt to generalize the findings. This is a pilot study which provides important findings for
future research, in particular by providing insights into domestic worker students’ use of online SNSs.
These may be transferable to other contexts, at least within Asia.
Literature Review
The Net Generation
Worley (2011) and others have stated that today’s higher education faculty and administrators face a
challenge with their students, many of whom are part of what is known as the Net Generation (Net
Gen). “Net Generation” or “Digital Natives” develop cognitively in a manner different from previous
generations as a result of their living in the digital age (Evans, 1995; Rovai, Ponton, & Baker, 2008).
Prensky (1995, p. 2) defines today’s students as “native speakers” of the digital language of
computers, video games and the Internet.
One of thegreatest challengesfor Net Gen learning will be in the area of technology in education. As
studentsbecome more technologically advanced, faculty must be technologically ready to meet student
needs, but many university faculty and administrators are from earlier generations and are more
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Challenges for Lecturers and Teachersfamiliar with learning and teaching styles that are different from those of the Net Generation. In
addition, the life experiences, expectations, and technological expertise of many faculty and the
students they are to teach are significantly different. Traditional methods of instruction will no longer
work in a society that has encountered "a paradigm shift from emphasizing teaching to emphasizing
learning" (Wilson, 2004, p. 59). In the new learning paradigm, the mission and purposeof education is
to produce learning, not to deliver instruction. The role of faculty is to design learning methodsand
environments,ratherthan to be primarily lecturers.
Faculty must be aware of these differences, and must prepare to adjust their teaching philosophies and
practices for a new breed of learners(Worley, 2011). According to Jeff and Zane (2008), Net Gen
students possess certain key traits that translate into processes for learning in school. They prefer
working collaboratively, do not respond well to the lecture, often do not communicate effectively
bytraditional standards, require information individually tailored to them, and require readily available
technology. Wilson (2004) recommends active learning for enhancing teaching effectiveness for Net
Gen students. Using active learning strategies such as discussions, reflection activities, group projects
and cooperative problem-solving can deepen students' understanding of course material and their
ability to apply new ideas. Since Net Geners have a team orientation, they should benefit greatly from
active learning opportunities.
New Tools for Distance Learning
Beldarrain (2006) predicted that the use of new tools by online educators would foster learning
environments that will produce global collaborations among students and make them lifelong learners.
That is exactly what is now takingplace in the field of distance education. Faculty members are using
asynchronous and synchronous collaboration tools, including text, audio and video conferencing, to
help create a borderless learning environment in which students are encouraged to think critically and
learn collaboratively throughglobal partnerships. Gunga and Ricketts (2008) found that use of these
tools in e-learning can compete with face-to-face learning in terms of psychosocial and emotional
flexibility. They added, however, that there is a need to enhance LMS audio-visual and interactive
capabilities to compensate for the sensory and emotional loss. Asynchronous tools bring the online
experience a step closer to being face to face. According to Palloff and Pratt (2007), recent
enhancements in synchronous technology highlight the usefulness of this technology in community
building and delivery of online courses. However, Newman's (2007)study indicated that there was no
significant difference in online communication, online learning, or online community when a
synchronous communication tool was added to an online course. Newman investigated 221
potential preservice teacher education students who enrolled in the College of Education at the
University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). His study describes the effects of adding a synchronous
communication tool to online courses.
Using mobile instant messaging to leverage learner participation and transform pedagogy
One of the most complicated academic endeavours in transmission pedagogies is togenerate
democratic participation of all students and public expression of silenced voices.While the potential of
mobile phones, particularly mobile instant messaging (MIM), totrigger broadened academic
participation is increasingly acknowledged in literature,integrating MIM into classrooms and out-of-
the-classroom tasks has often been confrontedwith academic resistance. Academic uncertainty about
MIM is often predicatedon its perceived distractive nature and potential to trigger off-task social
behaviours(Rambe & Bere, 2013). WhatsApp was adopted for an information technologycourse at a
South African university with a view to heighten lecturer–student andpeer-based participation, and
enhance pedagogical delivery and inclusive learning informal (lectures) and informal spaces. Rambe
and Bere (2013)suggested heightened student participation,the fostering of learning communities for
knowledge creation and progressiveshifts in the lecturer’s mode of pedagogical delivery.However, the
concomitant challengeof usingMIMincludedmature adults’ resentment of the merging of academic and
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Challenges for Lecturers and Teachersfamilylife occasioned by WhatsApp consultations after hours. Students also expressed
ambivalenceabout MIM’s wide-scale roll-out in different academic programmes.
Social Networking and FB
Boyd and Ellison (2007, p. 2) define social networks as “web-based services that allow individuals to:
(1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users
with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made
by others within the system.” FB is the most current and widely used social network. FB was
originally designed for college students, but is now open to anyone 13 years of age or older. FB users
can create and customize their own profiles with photos, videos, and information about themselves
(Conole, 2010).
Facebook (FB) was created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard University. The name for FB
came from the publications that some colleges pass out to students at the beginning of the year to help
students get to know each other better.FB, synonymous with social media among school and
university students, could be described as the most popular social networking tool in history (Omar,
Embi, & Yunus, 2012). It has the highest number of visitors among all the social networking tools
available in Web 2.0, with approximately a billion active users worldwide(Facebook, 2012). Like most
online social networking sites, FB’s mission is to make the world more open and connected. People
use FB to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what’s going on in the world, and to
share and express what matters to them (Bosch, 2009).
Students, particularly female students, may be inherently motivated to feel connected to others within
a virtual environment (Cheung & Lee, 2011). Creating a virtual community of students is therefore
likely to improve their intention to use the online learning technology. Cheung and Lee also found that
attitude of female students has the strongest direct effect on their behavioral intention to use an
Internet-based learning medium. They concluded that perceived enjoyment influences attitude more
strongly for female students than it influences male students.
Teaching and Learning with FB
FB has potential for teaching and learning because of its unique built-in functions that offer
pedagogical, social and technological affordances (Wang, 2008; Wang & Woo, 2007; Wang et al.,
2012). Wang et al. (2012) explored the function of a FB group as an LMS and the students’
perceptions of using it in their courses. In this study, the FB group was used in two courses at a teacher
education institute in Singapore as a learning management system for posting announcements, sharing
resources, organizing weekly tutorials and conducting online discussions. Wang et al. revealed that
students were basically satisfied with the pedagogical, social and technological affordances of FB, as
the fundamental functions of an LMS could be easily implemented in the FB group. However, using
the FB group as an LMS had certain limitations. It did not support directly uploading files in some
formats, and the discussion was not organized in a threaded structure. Also, the students did not feel
safe and comfortable as their privacy might be compromised.
Tina (2010) investigated the use of FB for online discussions among distance learners at the Open
University of Malaysia that first used FBin three courses as a platform for facilitator-learner
discussions to support mobile learning via SMS (Short Message Service or text messaging). She found
that FB does have the potential to be used for online academic discussions, either as an alternative to
LMSs commonly used in distance education or to complement such platforms. In addition, the posts
could engage learners in sustained conversations as in other online forums. She suggested that
investigations into the differences between the interaction processes of FBdiscussions as compared
with those in LMSs might reveal how the social networking platform maintains or changes how, for
what, and why students go online for discussions.
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Challenges for Lecturers and TeachersGrainne Conole (2011) investigated English as a Second Language (ESL) learners’ participation in an
information-sharing task conducted via FB groups and their feedback on the use of FB groups as the
platform for the activity. A group of 31 learners taking a communication course at a public university
participated in the study. Thematic analysis revealed that the use of FB as a platform for the
information-sharing task received very positive feedback from the participants, suggesting that it is a
promising virtual tool and environment to promote interaction in English learning. The authors
suggested that more activities using FB groups should be assigned for learners to practice and use
communicative language. In addition, they recommended promoting awareness of available online
tools and modelling effective use of the tools to help enhance learners’ online interactions. The
findings of Conole’s study support the work of Selwyn (2009), who arguedthat FBuse must be seen as
being situated within the ‘identity politics’ of being a student. In particular, FB appears to provide a
ready space where the ‘role conflict’ that students often experience in their relationships with
university work, teaching staff, academic conventions, and expectations can be worked through in a
relatively closed ‘backstage’ area.
In summary, these studies show that FBand WA havethe potential:(1) for teaching and learning
because of its unique built-in functions that offer pedagogical, social and technological affordances;
(2) to be used for online academic discussions, either as an alternative to LMSs commonly used in
distance education or to complement such platforms; and (3) to create a promising virtual tool and
environment to promote interaction in English learning.
Methodology
The primary methods used for the study were virtual ethnography, online qualitative interviews, and
content analysis of 10 UT students’ FBand WA profiles. Virtual ethnography is the practice of
ethnography, but in a virtual or online setting (Bosch, 2009). Ethnography involves “a holistic
description of cultural environment” (Singer, 2009). It entails studying people within their own
cultural environment through intensive fieldwork and involves in-depth investigation. The focus of
research was on undergraduate students, as they are generally the heaviest FB users (Mazman &
Usluel, 2010; Stutzman, 2008). The researcher contacted the students to ask for permission to do an
analysis of their FB pages and to participate in an interview.
The virtual ethnography approach employed in this study identified key markers for further
exploration in the online interviews. The population consists of 10 students by selecting two students
in their fourth semester, four students in their second semester, and four students in their first semester.
The students’ contact information was provided by the UT Information Technology department. The
data were collected from a threaded online discussion, links postings, friend lists, groups and
networks, wall posts, and other asynchronous communication via Whatsapp. Also, several tutors were
interviewed informally to validate the findings from the student interviews.
The UT students’ FBgroup had been established aboutone year before the start of the study. The
process of adaptingFB to provide e-learning support startedabout six months laterthrough aFBgroup
created by the students and moderated by senior students. From the very beginning, the students
invitedother students to join their FBgroup to access course-related materials, which required the
moderator’s approval. At the time of the study there were about272 members in the group. The
FBgroup’s wall mainly provided news about recent topics from online tutorial, some of which were
relatedto the various course activities; via the‘home’page of FB group, the researcher was also able to
learn the status of the students from time to time. The researcher was able to gain access to their FB
pages because the moderator invited the researcher to join this FB group. In addition, the group
members requested the researcher to accept friend requests from them. The roles of the researcher in
this group were as a tutor, a learning materials provider, and a facilitator.
The interview questionnaires were pre-tested with participants to provide information on the
acceptability of the language. Pre-testing reduces errors by improving survey questions (Creswell &
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Challenges for Lecturers and TeachersPlano Clark, 2011). In the pre-testing, the researcher noted the time spent and the way in which the
questions were received, misunderstandings that occurred, and terms that were not understood. Field
testing was conducted after the pre-testing; the field test consisted of a full test of the survey
instrument and procedures, including the introduction, explaining the participant’s rights based on
ethics requirements, consent, conducting the interview, and closing the interview. The final version of
interview instrument was used in online interviews using Skype (video conferencing software), and
Evaer (audio and video recorder software).
The researcher interviewed the 10 domestic workers for approximately 30 minutes each.The questions
covered internet availability, how the students used FB to support online tutorials, how students’ social
networks on FB related to their educational network in their online tutorials, how students attempted to
engage with lecturers using FB,and what potential FB holds for building learning communities in
distance education.Specifically, the researcher wished to uncover the characteristics, opinions,
perceptions and usage of FB for a group of UT’s students.
This study was informed by the notion that participation in a social network site leaves online ‘traces’
that reveal users’ attitudes, social relationships and affiliations in offline networks (Gráinne Conole,
2011a). Text provides the discursive space for the presentation of self to others. The challenge in
studying life online can be complicated by the interference of the researcher in the frame of the field,
and by the power of the researcher in representing the culture (Markham, 2005). In this case, sites
were viewed where access was not controlled by privacy settings. Despite potential ethical challenges,
the virtual ethnography was essential to define the field and triangulate the findings from the
interviews and surveys. Respondents’ confidentiality was guaranteed, as this component of the
research was intended to provide an overview of trends, with no specific references to the content on
individuals’ pages. This study uses the term ‘virtual ethnography’ quite loosely, and more accurately
merely draws on the basic principles of ethnography, with the researcher employing a form of
‘lurking’ or ‘completely unobtrusive observation’ (Garcia, Standlee, Bechkoff, & Cui, 2009, p. 58) to
gain an understanding of online interaction. In an attempt to counter some of the negatives associated
with this methodology, nothing was actually ‘harvested’ (Sharf, 1999) and no posts or messages from
pages viewed are cited in this article.
Results and Discussion
All of the 10 research participants were Indonesian female domestic workers. The participants often
updated their status in FB. They would voluntarily share FB information with each other and become
online ‘friends,’ often using the site to replicate classroom networks and to informally share online
tutorial-related questions and discussions. It also appeared that many participants did not change their
privacy settings, allowing all members of the network to view their current status.
Internet Availability
The main issue surrounding the use of FB at the students’ workplace (i.e., their house) was related to
time availability, since they were usually allowed to access the Internetonly during break times or after
work. Some of the employers restricted or blocked their domestic employees’ use of the Internet
during work. Although the Internet was not always blocked in their houses, access was discouraged,
with clear rules indicating to the employee (i.e., the domestic worker studyingwith UT) that access to
the Internet was not allowed. Despite this, nearly all the students surveyed indicated that they accessed
the Internet at home after work or during break time, with a smaller percentage indicating that they
would only update their status using their mobile phones.
There was very little use of languages other than Indonesian language on students’ walls, regardless of
race or mother language. All communication was found to be in Indonesian, except posting in their
English course group, with students considering this as the obvious choice of language for the
medium. Student accessed WhatsApp through either WiFi-enabled networks or private virtual
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Challenges for Lecturers and Teachersnetworks.Such mobile connections often provided slower connectivity compared with home
networks.Student frustration with slow networked connectivity resonates with variations in
thenetworked access to collectively generated resources. Notwithstanding the aforementioned
drawbacks,productive device usage was not exclusively network dependent as collaborative
learningcommunities and language of discourse were deeply implicated in productive
engagements,affecting intensity and persistence of online interaction.
How do students use FBand WA to support online tutorials?
In general, FB is used by a wide range of students, in terms of race, class and gender. There was no
evidence that FB use in this study differed from general Internet usage patterns in Hong Kong,
probably because all students have equal access to the Internet via personal computers. However, what
was most interesting is that while many students in this study had friends across racial groups, most
tended to have friends who were similar to them in terms of race. Students’ friends were mostly family
and university acquaintances, but many also had friends from primary and secondary school. As a
result, the numbers of friends ranged from around 16 to over 800. Students in the study had been
registered in FB for periods of one to three years. This research thus supports international studies
which show that participation in online networks tends to follow cultural and linguistic lines (Boyd,
2008).
Student use ofFB is quite varied, and one cannot assume that students use online social networking
tools in homogenous ways. Generally, several categories of users were noted: some signed up to FB
but were not daily active users; some signed up but did not actively participate, even though they often
observed on the site, reading information posted by their friends; and some were active users,
uploading and downloading information and using a variety of applications on the site, predominantly
for social purposes. Within the latter category, there was a further divide between those who usedFB
for social purposes only, and those who also usedFB for some kind of academic conversations, though
these were usually linked to classes in which this type of participation was a course requirement.
Another category of user was defined by those who did not use the site for much other than keeping
friends abreast of their activities by frequently updating their status messages. Students updated their
status frequently, particularly before and after a weekend, because they usually had one day off every
week on Sunday.
The UT students in this study regardedFBas an academic support. It was noted that first-year students
who joined UT in Hong Kong immediately signed up to join the English group in FB. UT students
usedFB for social networking, seeking support from peers, community building in a virtual class, and
the students’ notice board. This finding is consistent withresearch by Bosch (2009) and Tina (2010),
who found that FB for social networking worked as a complement to online courses. It also confirms
comments bySelwyn (2009)related to student management of identity and role conflicts.One of the
student comments: “The peers’ answers seemed to work quite well, my own feedback was interesting
and informative, hopefully the feedback I gave was useful”. One student described how she had to be
strategic in her selection of activities when she was offered five different discussion boards in FB
group from which to choose. She chose one of them and stuck with it, stating that many students had
done the same and that she had seen the same names coming up again day after day. She found the
discussion to be very stimulating and she was surprised at how much she enjoyed reading other peer’s
ideas in spite of the range of skill level.
WhatsApp-mediated learning’s support for multiple access to learning resources impactedstudents’
ability to engage with peers and the tutor synchronously. Smartphone’ personalisationand adaptation
to different contexts ensured persistent supply of texts, information andlearning resources, which
enabled networked learning and multiple peer-based feedback. Theinformal, convenient context for
instantaneous sharing of vital academic information activatedby the “porting” of learning resources
across different spaces extended learning times and augmentedtraditional consultation spaces.
TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE 21ST CENTURY:
18
Challenges for Lecturers and TeachersWhatsApp’s affordances for asynchronous communication also directly impacted studentparticipation.
The retrievability of messages posted when students were offline, outside networkcoverage or when
their devices were switched off implied that they could participate any timeirrespective of context.
Multiple interaction modes and diverse temporal times widened opportunitiesfor student involvement
without missing conversation flows.
Students believed thatWhatsApp discussion forumsallowed them to reflect “deeply” on questions and
queries before giving their opinions. This ispotentially attributable to forums’ asynchronous nature that
mitigated the pressure of instant,spontaneous responses immanent in lecture interactions(Rambe &
Bere, 2013).
How do students’ social networks on FB relate to their educational network in their online
tutorials?
Students in this study used FB in ways that are consistent with its wider use at UT. FB is widely used
by the UT community for connecting members of student societies, student groups, lecturers and
administrators. Many of the FB groups we observed appeared to serve the purpose of community
building, keeping members of specific academic programmes in touch with one another via the
website or sharing information among people who met in ‘real world’ environments. One example of
student community building on FBwas an online group set up to provide administrative and academic
support to students. This group provided help and support for students who had problems in
administrative and academic areas. Many others appeared to be centred on academic progress, with
postings phrased along the lines of ‘I am done with task one.’ Clearly, FB fosters micro-communities
of people who share interests or participate in similar activities, and the question is whether this kind
of effective social networking might be similarly extended from the personal, into the realm of the
academic.
Another use ofFB at UT is the student notice board, with a range of groups set up during the academic
semester. Some of these groups merely provide general information on issues such as first registration,
end of registration, and how to register. A third form of social connectivity is group membership, with
groups listed as being very important to students.All interviewees stated that they belonged to several
groups. While the numbers of groups varied, most students observed in the study were members of at
least four active groups, with some indicating membership in over 30 groups.
Students in this study adopted and used FB because their significant referents, such as friends or
classmates encouraged more online interaction. For instance, classmates made use of online chat
rooms and online discussion forums of the FB to foster their peers’ collaboration and create a sense of
community. Generally, the most common usefor FB is socialising – sharing information about group
meetings and social events, sharing photographs and other images, music and videos, and keeping in
touch in daily work. According to Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampe (2007), friendships in virtual worlds
often begin offline and then migrate to the online space. However, this is not the case in modern social
networks as friendship practices on social network sites are not simply an extension of offline
friendships(Boyd, 2006).
How are students attempting to engage with lecturers using FB and WA?
While UT’s students were in general familiar with FB, few lecturers were registered on the network,
and many of them were not active in FB. This raises several issues within the context of teaching and
learning. One student, for example, responded that it was difficult to ‘talk’ to teachers whom she saw
daily on FB. Teachers always rejected the invitation from students to be friend or group members,
even if the student needed to communicate something important to them. Students assumed that the
teachers routinely ignored friend requests from their students in order to keep personal information on
their profiles private from students, and those teachers preferred to use the online tutorial to interact
TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE 21ST CENTURY:
19
Challenges for Lecturers and Teacherswith students. Stutzman (2008) noted that establishing FB relationships with students is risky. This
may affect the perceptions students and lecturers have of each other.
Although it was found that lecturers are unwilling to ‘friend’ students, students clearly stated
that they would accept friend requests from lecturers. According to Boyd (2006), the concept of
‘friending’ on online social sites is more about the performance of online identities and the formation
of communities than about ‘friendship’ in the offline environment. But this study revealed that despite
this understanding of friendship, UT students interpreted the display of social connections as revealing
information about their own identities (Donath & Boyd, 2004). Perhaps the most important thing about
FB groups and WA is the potential for students to engage with one another. Since they are already in
touch via social connectionsthis may be useful for generating peer review of their online work. In most
online tutorial, student questions to the instructor are usually not answered immediately. In order to get
answer quickly, the students post their question in FB groups, so their peers can respon it immediately.
If the answers have been answered correctly and satisfactorily, they confirm it to tutor via thread in
online tutorial. This thread can be followed by other students who do not join the FB group.
What potential does FB and WA hold for building learning communities in distance education?
One common theme that was derived from the interviews was the development of learning
communities using FB groups. FB’s group tool provides opportunities for students to form groups in
which they can support each other. These findings are consistent with studies by Koschmann (1994),
Lao and Gonzales (2005), Tharp and Gallimore (1988), andWells and Chang-Wells (1992) that
indicated that the Internet provides learning experiences and a place to build upon knowledge within a
learning community. Online learning is a rich environment where learner-centered instructional
techniques show opportunities for significant developments and offer new ways to learn, research,
work and socialize (Bonk & King, 1998; Gráinne Conole, 2011b).
UT students who were engaged in academic FB English groups actively participated in them and
welcomed the use of the online social networking tool for academic,in addition to social, purposes. In
most cases FB was reported as being useful. Students reflected that they were already spending much
time on FB, and theywere able to check class-related material while at the same time engaging in
personal communication. In general, students who used FB for various academic purposes, from the
informal to the more formal mandatory participation, listed a range of benefits. Primarily, students said
that their FB friends helped them to identify and find learning material on the Internet, and to answer
questions about tasks in online tutorials (e.g., due dates, assignment details). Students also often used
FB during weekends or break time for connecting with others to prepare face-to-face tutorials and to
share lecture and study notes.
Respondents talked about how FB allowed them to learn from junior and senior students whom they
had not yet meet in person. It also allowed them to network with groups that had similar academic
interests, even if they were in different semesters/classes. The main benefit was being able to access
different learning materials instantly in an informal and ubiquitous environment.
One participant felt that FB allowed students to ask questions that they might not feel comfortable
asking in a formal online tutorial, as there is a relative higher degree of anonymity in the absence of
asynchronous interaction. In response to informal questioning, some online tutors indicated that
tasks/discussions were more effective because student queries had already been dealt with via the FB’s
group. Students used the FBgroup to indicate which areas of the particular material to cover or discuss,
and then moved to the online tutorial LMS to answer the questions or tasks.
In many cases this kind of interaction was transferred to real face-to-face tutorial settings, as students
felt their colleagues were more approachable after interacting with them online. In some ways FB
could be perceived as a shared space–not controlled by them individually, but controlled by all
together – thus breaking down the traditional power hierarchies among students. For example, there is
no rule that the older control the younger. However, some experienced or smarter students often gave
TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE 21ST CENTURY:
20
Challenges for Lecturers and Teachersmore comments in the group. This mechanism of community control could be positive; for example, if
key people were absent from a group discussion, other students would assume their roles.
Each group had an administrator to manage the group; her primary task was to invite and approve
group members, and then to provide links to learning materials. The secondary role of the
administrator could be replaced by other members who have similar capabilities. In the process of
course design and implementation, the administrator felt that it was easy to set up a FB group and have
enough control. The administrator as a creator of a FB group could enroll or remove members easily.
However, the administrator noted that it was quite troublesome to add learning materials because it
involved uploading files with the ‘Add File’ menu, then putting the links into FB or pasting
themdirectly into the group’s wall. Also, FB does not support the direct uploading of some file
formats. The administratorreported that moderating online discussions in the FB group was easy and
that the topics of discussion were based on the topics in the online tutorial. These findings are similar
to those of Wang et al. (2012), who used theFB group as a LMS. However, these authors noted that
FBhad certain constraints; for example, it does not support the upload of some file formats, and
discussions are not organized in a meaningful structure.
The student–tutor dialogic interactions involved the sharing of experiences, social practices and
communicativerepertoires, thus fostering a community of practice and learner-centred teaching
approaches. For students, transformative learning played out in their criticalengagement with learning
resources. Students are suggestingWhatsApp’s forums’potential to foster “bridging spaces”-the space
for connect differences linked to interactants’ interests, skillsandcapabilities.
Conclusions
A FB group has the potential to be used as an online tutorial complement. It has pedagogical, social
and technological affordances, which allow putting up announcements, sharing ideas and resources,
and implementing online discussions. Using a FB group as an informal learning environment,
however, has certain constraints. The strong social connectivity of FB is not a risk-free friending
network. Although it risks compromising their privacy, it does enable students to easily communicate
and interact with peers. For effective use of a FB group to complement an online tutorial, many other
factors such as participation of tutors and the role of FB group administrators must be successfully
addressed.
There are two benefits of Whatsapp for distance learning: mobile learning and context free accessto
learningresources. Student appropriation of WhatsApp-enabled phones for lecturer–student and
peerbasedconsultations leveraged their participation as they redressed poorconnectivity via
institutionalnetworks. Device portability coupled with affordances foranywhere anytime access
toinformation and learning resources redressed the constraintsdistance, space and temporal timesin
access to resources.
Educating adults of the Net Generation will continue to produce challenges for teachers. The
challenges should be viewed as opportunities to learn and to help students move forward in a
constantly changing society. Educators should themselves embrace technology, provide active
learning, change and develop new methodologies for motivating and training Net Gen students.
The results of this research point to a need for the better utilization of Facebook and WA in online
tutorial and the need for UT that choose to "embrace" the increasing popularity of social media to
implement tools that better ensure informal learning process.
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